Does Italy miss you when you miss Italy?
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I arrived in Napoli at around 11h45. I got through customs and then walked to the arrivals gate. Paolo told me to just go and meet him in his car outside, so I started to make my way to the door when he popped in front of me from behind the other people waiting for passengers. It was such a pleasant surprise. I was so happy to not have to figure out where he would be because I’ve only heard stories of how chaotic Napoli is. The reason why I flew into Napoli was because originally I was going to take the train to the Amalfi Coast to meet him because he was working down there, but he got his car and wasn’t working for the week and came and picked me up in Napoli. We had a quick coffee and made our way to Alvita where his grandmother lives. A bunch of his aunts, uncles and cousins were there because they recently picked the grapes to make wine and they were having a big lunch together before everyone left that night.
We arrived in Alvita after about two hours on the road. It was a beautiful two hours because we were driving by mountains the whole way there. It was a little frustrating at first, meeting his family because I have absolutely no Italian, but after a while, I could practically understand everything Paolo was telling them about me and there are so many words that are similar to French. Also, his cousin Federica and I spoke French because she remembered more French from school because her French teacher was cooler than her English teacher. By the time I left Italy, I learned a lot. Federica and her boyfriend taught me a lot. Paolo as well, but he taught me mostly bad stuff.
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Back to the story, lunch was delicious and a total picture of what you would imagine a lunch in the Italian countryside would be. There was a long table set up outside of the house with chairs all around it. Wine and sparkling water lined the table evenly and there was a big basket of bread in the middle. We started off with a simple gorgonzola pasta with crushed walnuts. That was the first plate and Paolo told me I had to pace myself, a lot of the times he takes guests on his bike tours and they don’t realise that there is waaay more food ahead of them. A bunch of courses and glasses of wine later, this platter of stacks of canolis and other pastries and a cake comes out. One of the uncles went to a bakery earlier that day and brought it for dessert. So we had those desserts and some L.imoncello and Grappa. That night, and after a long nap from being full on food and drink, we went into Sora and had a drink in one of the Piazzas there and then the next day we drove to Rome.
The drive to Rome was just as beautiful as the drive to Alvita. The mountains just surround you with little sprinklings of towns on moutains slopes. We passed by an Abbey that is famous called Monte Cassino, I believe. There is a banquet hall in Woodbridge named after it. We got into Rome and parked and immediately started sight seeing. We stopped to see the church Santa Maria Trestever and then had lunch in the Piazza on the steps of the fountain. Lunch was from this place Paolo used to grab food from when he worked in the neighbourhood. The place was called Il Suppli and it is always rammed! This weird gypsy guy and his lady friend stopped to chat with us and show us magic tricks. Then I gave him the rest of my beer and he left. He was cool, other gypsies you have to seriously watch your shit around because they’ll take it without you even noticing. One example is when we were at the Colosseum, this tourist almost had his wallet stolen by this woman carrying a baby and a piece of cardboard. Paolo had to tell the guy that she was trying to stick her hand in his pocket. Some people are just clueless and get sucked into the whole, ‘I’m carrying a baby and look pitiful, give me money while I try to steal the rest of it.’
I saw a lot in Rome even having only been there in two days so I will just list it off.
Santa Maria Trestevere (There is a famous mosaic in this church where Jesus has his arm around a broad. Mary Magdalene most likely) and Piazza Santa Maria in Trestevere
Piazza Navona
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The Pantheon and Rafael’s grave
Cops dressed in Armani because he designed the uniforms
Fontana di Treve
Piazza di Spania
Piazza della Coloma
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Largo Argentina
Coloseo (Colosseum)
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Foro Romano
Constantine’s Arch
San Pietro in Vincoli and the marble Moses by Michelangelo
Circo Massimo (Where they used to have chariot races)
Jardina della Aranci (beautiful vista of the city)
A keyhole with the perfect alignment with a view of San Pietro
Mouth of Truth
Piazza Venezia
San Pietro
Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel
We also went to dinner at this delicious seafood restaurant the night before we left Rome.
I also got to see the Napoli airport, nothing in Napoli really. We stayed in Alvita, we drove through Frosenone and we had a drink in Sora. So, I got a few little tastes of different parts of the country. I also got a taste of a lot of the food because it was so delicious and I regret nothing of gaining a million kilos because of it ;)
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The next place I live will be Italy, probably Roma or Firenze!
Leaving Paolo in Italy was probably the second saddest goodbye in Europe for me, second only to saying goodbye to my mom on the Eurostar platform at Gare du Nord. I was sad to say goodbye to him, but I really fell in love with Italy and I think Rome or maybe Florence will be the next city I venture living in. I thought the history around me was awe inspiring in Paris but Rome is so much older. It’s incredible. People use Circo Massimo as a jogging track! Saying goodbye to Italy was also sealing the deal on saying goodbye to Europe for this year’s adventure of mine.